


Long Distance Emergency

by RedShirtWriter34567



Category: Fright Night (2011), Twilight (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Injury Recovery, M/M, Near Death, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:00:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22359124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedShirtWriter34567/pseuds/RedShirtWriter34567
Summary: Aro is injured overseas in Italy. Sulpicia calls Peter, who immediately catches the next flight to Italy.
Relationships: Aro (Twilight)/Peter Vincent
Comments: 18
Kudos: 66





	1. The Call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [terryreviews](https://archiveofourown.org/users/terryreviews/gifts).



> Sequel to Emergency. Enjoy!

Peter was jolted out of his deep sleep by the sudden loud ringing of his phone. He cursed and sat up, kicking the blankets off and placing the stuffed bat he'd been cuddling aside. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and glared at the number flashing across the screen, only to notice that it was Aro's number; the vampire had gone back to Italy last week for some meetings. Peter clicked 'accept' and brought the phone to his ear. 

"Hello?" He asked.

"Peter?" A woman's voice asked. "Peter Vincent?" 

"Yes," Peter answered, vaguely recognizing the woman's voice. "Who is this?" 

"Sulpicia," the woman replied. "Do remember me?" 

"Yes," Peter answered, growing irritated. "Why the hell are you calling me? It's three in the bloody morning over here!" 

"I'm sorry," Sulpicia said, sounding emotional. "I know it's sudden but....it's Aro. Something happened." 

Peter's heart started racing. "What happened?" 

"There was a group of hunters patroling here," Sulpicia explained. "Aro was trying to find their hideout when they ambushed him, and they attacked. He's injured, very badly injured." 

"Oh, my God," Peter said, running a hand through his hair. 

"He's in bad shape, Peter," Sulpicia said. It sounded like she was crying. "You should come here. I know it's short notice, but..he'd want to see you." 

"I'm on my way," Peter said briskly, forcing down the flood of tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Tell him to hold, because I'm coming." 

He hung up, heart and mind racing. He opened up Google and looked up flights to Italy. There was one leaving in an hour. He purchased the ticket from his phone, not caring how expensive it was, then tore out of his bedroom and grabbed the suitcase he kept in the closet. He frantically packed, even included the stuffed bat. He threw on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket, then called Charley. Since it was three in the morning, he was met with Charley's voicemail.

"Charley, listen, I know it's late but something happened with Aro in Italy," Peter said, speaking quickly as he left his penthouse, locking the door behind him. "I'm flying out to Italy now. I'll call you as soon as I can. Pass this along to Amy too." 

He hung up and called an Uber to take him to the airport. Fifteen minutes later, after impatiently going through the various security checkpoints, Peter was sitting at Gate A-4, with only a handful of other passengers, waiting to board the plane. Peter couldn't keep still; he was a bundle of nerves and anxiety. 

While his suitcase had been taken to the plane already, he did have a backpack that held nothing except his phone charger, his make-up, hair products, and his plush bat. He pulled out the stuffed animal and stroked its wings, breathing deeply. Finally, an announcement came on saying that the plane was ready to be boarded. Peter boarded with the other passengers and found his seat, settling in. He had the whole row to himself. He strapped himself in and squeezed the bat as the plane took off. 

"I'm coming, Aro," he whispered, looking out the window. "I'm coming."


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter arrives in Italy and is taken to the Volturi home to see Aro.

Peter's eyes snapped open as the plane landed. He blinked, rubbed his eyes as he looked out the window. He was so tired it felt like his brain was stuffed with cotton. He wasn't sure what time it even was. The pilot's voice came over the intercom, welcoming the passengers to Italy in both English and Italian. 

"Crap, this wasn't a dream," Peter said, fatigue vanishing as he remembered why he was here. 

He stuffed his bat into his backpack and exited the plane with the other passengers. In the airport he claimed his suitcase and went outside. People and vehicles of all kinds filled the streets, and the air was humid and hot. Peter looked around, trying to find a cab or even a bus that would take him to the Volturi.

"Peter?" A voice said directly in his ear. 

Peter jumped and turned around, instinctively going for weapons that weren't there. An inhumanly beautiful woman had moved through the crowd, dressed in a black cloak trimmed in red. The hood was up, almost concealing her face, except for her red eyes that shone like pools of blood. 

"Sulpicia?" Peter asked. "How did you get here so fast?" 

"I knew you'd show up after we spoke," she told him. "Come with me." 

She led Peter through the crowds and towards a black limousine parked on the street. A dark-clad driver stepped out and opened the door. Sulpicia slid inside and beckoned to Peter. The driver put Peter's suitcase in the back while the hunter joined Sulpicia.

"Is Aro alright?" Peter asked as the limo began to move. "How is he?" 

Sulpicia's silence made him worry. Peter plucked at his seatbelt. 

"It's worse than we initially thought," she finally said, softly. "He was somehow infected with werewolf venom." 

Peter felt his heart freeze. He knew what that meant. When a vampire was bitten by a werewolf, the venom caused them such pain and a slow death that they often mercy killed. 

"I'm sorry, Peter," Sulpicia said. "It's only a matter of time until he either dies or someone kills him out of mercy." 

"No," Peter said, shaking his head. "I can't give up that easy. Not now. After all we've been through, I'm not giving up on him." 

Sulpicia stared at him. Peter stared back, defiance in his eyes. They rode in silence the rest of the way. 

Peter dozed off in the limo and only woke when it stopped. He rubbed his eyes. 

"We're here," Sulpicia said. "Follow me." 

Peter exited the limo and stared in awe at the sprawling castle that the Volturi called home. He followed Sulpicia up a curved pathway and through a large set of iron doors. The inside of the castle was just as impressive as the outside-paintings on the walls, high ceilings, polished stone floors. 

"Nice place," Peter said. He'd never been to the Volturi home before, and now he just wished it was under more pleasant circumstances. 

"The infirmary is this way," Sulpicia told him, opening a door at the end of the hallway. 

Peter followed her through it and into a room mostly constructed of stone and brick. Rich carpet covered the floor and torches were mounted on the walls. Beds lined each side of the room, neatly made. Only one had a curtain drawn around it. 

"Wait here," Sulpicia said, parting the curtain and disappearing from view. 

Peter ran his hands through his hair, shifting his weight anxiously. Finally, the curtain parted and Sulpicia appeared again with another vampire next to her. He looked at Peter with contempt and said nothing as he swept out of the room.

"Who was that?" Peter asked. 

"One of Aro's brothers," Sulpicia replied. "You can see him now." 

Peter took a deep breath before approaching the bed. Aro laid on it, his long hair spread out on the pillow like a black halo. He was shirtless, the blankets covering his waist. His eyes were closed and he was twitching, face contorted in pain. A large wound, crusted black with decay, showed on his ribcage. 

"Oh, my God," Peter said, rushing forward and grabbing one of Aro's hands. He felt hot, which shocked Peter as the vampire was always cold to the touch. 

"Isn't there anything else you can do for him?" He asked Sulpicia desperately. 

She shook her head, eyes downcast. "No. I'm afraid we've done all we can. There might be a chance his body can counteract the venom, but..." She trailed off. 

Peter shook his head defiantly. "I'm not going to accept that. There must be something that can be done. I'll find a way." 

"That is a foolish notion," Sulpicia said. "There is nothing else to be done except to end his suffering." 

"Get out," Peter growled. "Leave me alone!" 

Sulpicia snarled under her breath but left the room, slamming the door behind her. Peter looked down at Aro and stroked his face. He sat down on the bed, gripping the vampire's hand tightly in his. 

"Don't worry, Aro," he whispered. "You never gave up on me, so I'm certainly not giving up on you now. I'll help you fight this. Just hold on." He kissed the vampire's forehead. "Hold on."


	3. Research And Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter searches for a way to help Aro before it's too late.

Peter tossed the leather-bound book he'd been combing through aside. "Dammit." 

He was seated in a large armchair in the Volturi's library, hopelessly going through every book he could find about vampires, medicines, anything that he thought could help Aro. The vampire was slowly getting worse as the days wore on. His skin, normally cold, was giving off heat like a furnace. The wound on his ribcage was getting bigger, slowly covering the entirety of his torso. Peter hadn't felt this helpless since his parents were killed. He ran a hand across his face, feeling tired and drained.

"Fuck," he growled. "Come on, Vincent, keep it together." 

He grabbed another book off the stack next to him and opened it. As he did, the library door opened and Sulpicia came in. She placed a covered tray of food on the table in front of him. 

"You've been in here for hours," she told him. "You need to eat and get some rest." 

"I'll do that when I've found a way to help Aro," Peter said, turning a page. 

Sulpicia sighed. Over the past three days that Peter had been there, she was the only one of the Volturi besides Aro himself that seemed to like him. She brought him meals and gave him a room near the infirmary so that he was close to Aro. She also kept watch over him when Peter wasn't around. 

"Peter," she said, reaching out and gently taking the book out of his hands, "you need to take care of yourself if you want to help Aro." 

Peter sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I know that." 

Sulpicia pushed the tray closer to him. "Eat." 

Peter obeyed, knowing from experience that he wasn't going to win this argument. He pulled the cover off the tray and began to eat the spaghetti underneath. Sulpicia sat down across from him. Peter eyed her as he ate. He'd always been rather weary of her, especially since she used to be married to Aro. She told him that she had left him in the 1300s, back when the Volturi were more conservative. 

"Have you heard from your friends?" She asked Peter as he wiped his lips. 

"Yeah," Peter answered, knowing that she was referring to Charley and Amy. "I called them yesterday. They're worried but they have hope I'll find a way to help him." 

"I have hope as well," Sulpicia said with a smile. 

"Why are you so nice to me?" Peter asked her. "Everyone else here seems to hate my guts, except for you and Aro." 

"The others have always had a dislike for humans," Sulpicia explained. "I used to as well, but over the centuries I've come to know some very nice humans. And I like you because you make Aro happy." 

Peter felt a smile pulling at his lips. He pushed the empty tray away and looked over at the crackling fireplace. He had never thought that he'd fall in love with a vampire, the same creature that had killed his parents, but here he was, desperately trying to save one. He snorted quietly. 

"What it is?" Sulpicia asked. 

"Nothing," Peter said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just thinking." 

Silence lingered between them, punctuated by the cracking fire. The flames cast a blood-red light across the room. 

'Blood?' Peter thought suddenly, sitting up.He left his chair and crossed the room toward a tall shelf full of books about sacrifices. He scanned the volumes carefully. 

Sulpicia came over and stood behind him. "What are you looking for?" 

"I just got an idea," Peter said. "Yesterday I read one of these books that talked about a ritual that could heal a vampire from a werewolf bite. I just need to find it." 

He continued to scan the shelves until he found a book bound in crimson-trimmed black leather. He grabbed it and flipped through the yellowed pages. Sulpicia hovered behind him, watching. 

"Here it is," Peter said, stopping on a page covered in English and Latin texts, along with a hand-drawn picture of a dagger. "It says that if a vampire's mate cuts themselves with this dagger and let's their mate drink it, it can counteract the werewolf venom." 

"That's extraordinary!" Sulpicia exclaimed. "Where is the dagger?" 

Peter consulted the book again. "The only words I can make out are 'graveyard' and 'Medici'." 

"Medici?" Sulpicia said, arching her brow. "Graveyard?" 

She walked a little ways from Peter, mulling the information over in her head. 

"It must mean the graveyard where the Medici family was buried in the 14th century," she said, turning to Peter. "There have been legends about a dagger that the family had passed down generation to generation." 

"So if we find the dagger, we can help Aro!" Peter said excitedly. 

"Yes," Sulpicia said, "but who is Aro's mate? Me, or you?" 

Peter's excitement faltered at that. "I......don't know."


	4. The Dagger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Sulpicia search for the dagger that could save Aro.

Peter climbed up and over the fence with ease, dropping lightly on to the grass on the other side. Sulpicia watched him from behind the wrought iron fence of the graveyard, her black clothes rendering her almost invisible in the darkness. 

"Remind me again why I had to do this?" Peter asked her as he took the bolt cutters out of his backpack and began to remove the chains on the gate. 

"It's simpler this way," Sulpicia told him as the chains fell off the gate. Peter opened it and she stepped inside, red eyes flashing in the dark. 

"Simple, right," Peter muttered, stashing away the bolt cutters and removing a small flashlight. "Does that mean it's just simpler to have a human do the grave robbing?"

"This isn't grave robbing," Sulpicia said. "I told you that once we find the dagger, one of the others will bring it back here once we're done with it." 

"So it's grave borrowing," Peter muttered. "I'm sure the police would love that explanation." 

"Would you two just find the dagger so we can get out of here?" Aro's brother snarled from the other side of the fence. 

Peter bit back a tense reply of his own as he turned on the flashlight and followed Sulpicia into the graveyard. The sky was thick with clouds and the air was humid even at midnight. The graveyard itself was quiet and still. Tombstones, some faded with age, some newer with flowers and colorful flags, stuck out like fingers in the ground. Mausoleums also shared the space, seperated by small fences. 

"How far until we reach the mausoleum of the Medici?" Peter asked Sulpicia.

"According to the book, it should be standing alone atop that hill," Sulpicia answered. "It was contructed there to avoid vandalism."

Peter snorted. "Well, now vandalism is the least of their problems." 

He was trying to act casual, but on the inside he was more nervous than he could ever remember being. This was the first time he'd left Aro alone since he'd arrived in Italy. Before he'd left, Peter had gone to see him beforehand. Aro looked so frail, his skin slick with sweat as the fever took hold with force. His long hair was limp and thin as cobwebs, the wound now completely covering his torso. 

"I'll be back," Peter had told him quietly, stroking his hair. "Hopefully with a cure. Just hang on." 

That was also something Peter was concerned about. The book had said that the vampire's mate had to be the one to cut themselves, but who was Aro's mate? Peter, who was more of a lover, or Sulpicia, who had actually been his wife and was still considered by the Volturi as Aro's mate?

Peter was so lost in thought that he bumped into Sulpicia, who had stopped a few feet in front of him. 

"Geez, sorry," Peter said. "But why'd you stop?" 

"We're here," Sulpicia said, pointing toward the top of the hill. 

Peter looked up and spotted a large mausoleum overlooking the entire graveyard. A fence a few feet high encircled it. Peter and Sulpicia approached, allowing Peter to take in details. The mausoleum itself was impressive, painted in shades of blue and grey, emblazoned with pictures of angels and the Medici crest in gold. 

"Nice place to hold a bunch of bones," Peter said. "The dagger is in there?" 

"Yes," Sulpicia said. "The book said it will be in the grasp of Lorenzo Medici." 

"Sounds easy enough," Peter remarked, stepping over the short fence and approaching the doors of the structure. Another loop of chains and a padlock held them shut. 

"Old chains and a lock are no match for 21st century bolt cutters," Peter said, taking the tool out his backpack again. 

The chains snapped under the pressure and fell to the ground with a clank. Peter smiled triumphantly as he carefully pushed the door open. Inside, the mausoleum was much bigger. A thick layer of dust coated the mosaic floor. Long shelves holding mahogany coffins lined the painted walls. The names of the Medici family were inscribed in both English and Italian on the far wall around a larger picture of the crest. 

"Okay, now which one of you is Lorenzo?" Peter asked. 

He scanned the coffins, noticing that some were more decorative than the rest, and all of them were void of dust. 

"How's it going?" Sulpicia asked from outside. 

"There's like six bloody coffins in here," Peter answered. "How am I supposed to know which one is Lorenzo's?" 

"Lorenzo was the patriarch of the family," Sulpicia told him. "His coffin would probably be much nicer than the others, designed by only the best." 

Peter mulled that information over in his head. He examined the coffins more carefully, and noticed that the one closest to the crest painting on the wall was carved with angels, flowers, and stars. He approached it and ran a finger down the smooth wood. 

"This has to be it," he whispered to himself. 

Peter took a deep breath before removing a crowbar from his backpack. He very carefully put it in place and applied some pressure. The wood creaked loudly but didn't open. Peter pushed down slightly harder and was rewarded with the lid easing open. 

"Yes," he whispered. "Come to daddy." 

He opened the coffin further and nearly recoiled at the sight inside. A skeleton, bleached white with age, was stretched out along the velvet inside. A dagger with a curved blade and an ornate handle was sitting on its chest. 

"Sorry about this," Peter told the skeleton. 

He reached out and grasped the dagger's cold hilt and pulled it free from the skeleton. He shut the lid carefully, trying to contain his excitement. He darted back outside to where Sulpicia was waiting. 

"Have you got it?" She asked. 

Peter held up the dagger, grinning. "Let's get back to Aro." 

Sulpicia smiled and hugged him tightly. Peter hugged her back, feeling emotion rising up inside.


	5. The Cure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Sulpicia return with the dagger.

Peter burst through the door of the Volturi castle, breathing hard, Sulpicia in tow. The hunter dumped his backpack by the door and sprinted down the hall toward the infirmary, the Medici dagger tight in his fist. Sulpicia ran after him.

"Peter, slow down," she called to him. 

"I can't," Peter called back. 

He reached the door of the infirmary but found it locked. He furrowed his brow and wriggled the doorknob furiously. Sulpicia came up behind him.

""What's wrong?" She asked. 

"Bloody door is locked," Peter growled. He knocked loudly. "Open up!"

Sulpicia frowned and touched the knob, trying to turn it. Peter moved aside so she could knock on the door.   
It wouldn't budge, and Peter began to worry. He sheathed the dagger into the belt loops of jeans and knocked on the door again. 

"If anyone is on the other side, open the bloody door!" He yelled. 

"No," an irritated male voice growled from behind the door. 

"Marcus?" Sulpicia said angrily. "What is the meaning of this? Open the door this instant!" 

"Why?" Marcus asked icily. "So you can hopelessly try to save Aro with an old dagger and a ritual that has never been done?" 

"You creepy son of a bitch," Peter snarled. "Open the bloody door before Aro dies!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, human," Marcus replied nastily. "It's only a matter of time before Aro succumbs to the venom and I can lead the Volturi to greatness once again!" 

Sulpicia let loose an angry, gutteral sound. She placed both hands on the door, and with a loud crash the door splintered and fell of the hinges. She lunged onto the room and knocked Marcus across the floor. Both vampires snarled as the fought, using claws and fangs and fists. Peter carefully entered the room, a hand upon the dagger as he moved along the wall.

"This is foolish, Sulpicia," Marcus hissed, pinning her to the floor by her throat, eyes black. "Why do you and Aro continue to sully the good name of the Volturi, parading around with humans, inviting one unto our castle?" 

"Not all humans are bad," Sulpicia rasped. "You'd see that for yourself if you weren't such a bigoted idiot! 

Marcus growled and heaved her up off the floor, holding her throat so tight she began to whimper. Her legs kicked the air. 

"Get away from her!" Peter yelled, jumping on to Marcus's back, scratching at his face. 

Marcus yowled in pain and dropped Sulpicia. The female vampire knelt on the floor, massaging her throat. Marcus twisted around violently, trying to get Peter off his back. He grabbed Peter by the hair and threw across the room into a shelf of medical equipment. 

"Peter!" Sulpicia yelled as the hunter collided with the shelf, wood splintering and crashing down onto Peter. 

She attempted to get to him, but Marcus tossed her further across the room, where she hit her head on the stone floor and didn't get up again. Marcus then stalked over to Peter, who was trying to free himself from the wood he was trapped under. 

"Where's the dagger?" He asked, desperately searching the wreckage around him. 

He gasped as a hand appeared around his throat, cold and tight as an iron collar. Marcus lifted Peter out of the pile of wood and broken medical equipment, a cruel smirk twisting his thin lips. His eyes were shining with an evil glee. He gripped Peter's throat tighter, making the hunter choke. 

"How perfect this is," Marcus sneered. "I can choke the life out of Aro's human lover and then watch him die as the venom finishes him off." 

"No," Peter whispered, tears welling up in his eyes as he fought to free himself. "Please let me save him!" 

"Why?" Marcus asked, bringing Peter's face closer to his. "I know all about you, Peter Vincent. I know a vampire killed your parents when you were a child and that you swore that you would spend the rest of your life killing them? You don't truly love Aro. You're just waiting for the right moment to kill him! And Aro has had many lovers before you and after Sulpicia. When you finally die, you'll be nothing but a speck in his memories!" 

Tears streamed down Peter's face as Marcus squeezed his throat tighter. Spots danced in his vision. His hearing was growing faint. Marcus was smiling at him, eyes dancing cruelly.

"That's quite enough of that, brother," a familiar voice said. 

Marcus yelled out and dropped Peter to the ground. The hunter crumpled to the floor, coughing as he rubbed his throat. He looked up and saw Marcus fighting with another vampire, this one clad only in a pair of black pants. Peter wiped tears from his eyes and when his vision cleared he realized that the other vampire was Aro! 

"Aro?" He asked in amazement. 

The two vampires fought savagely, Aro tearing at the robes Marcus wore, the wound on his torso almost up to his neck. He threw Marcus into the wall with such force that cracks spiderwebbed across them. Marcus lay in a heap on the floor as Aro wrenched a lit torch from the wall and stalked over to him. 

"Brother, please, have mercy," Marcus begged pathetically. "I didn't mean anything by this I just-" 

Aro grabbed his hair and brought their faces closer.

"Shut up, you spineless fool," he growled. 

He smashed the torch into Marcus's stomach and tossed him away. Marcus screamed, making the hairs on Peter's arms stand on end. Flames licked their way across the vampire, who stumbled around blindly to try and put them out. He backed towards a window and fell through it, screaming as he did. Aro stood by the window, panting, before he collapsed to the floor.

"Aro!" Peter yelled, crossing the room quickly. 

He knelt beside the vampire and carefully pulled his limp form into his arms. His skin was like hot iron, slick with sweat as Peter pulled him close. 

"Don't worry," he told Aro quietly. "I'm here, and I've got a cure. Just hold on a little longer." 

He made a move to carry Aro across the room toward where the dagger was, but Sulpicia was already standing by him, holding it in one hand and a box of disinfectant in the other. She knelt on the floor and offered the dagger to Peter, hilt first. 

"Here," she told him. 

"Are you sure?" Peter asked, hesitantly accepting the weapon. "Are you sure that I'm his mate?"

"I've never been more sure about anything," she said. "Even in the throes of death he defended you. Aro loves you more than he's ever loved anything before." 

"Thank you, Sulpicia," Peter said. "For everything." 

"You're welcome," she said. 

Peter took a deep breath before he placed the blade against the skin of his left palm. "Here goes nothing."

His hands shook slightly, but he gritted his teeth and cut open the skin. Blood welled instantly along the cut. Peter placed the dagger aside, and brought his hand to Aro's mouth. Instantly, the vampire stirred, eyes fluttering open, completely black. He reached out with one hand and grasped Peter's wrist as he began to suck the blood leaking from the wound. 

Peter watched carefully, trying to remain calm despite the fact that his heart was pounding against his ribcage. Sulpicia was watching too, ready to pull them apart if Aro lost control. Finally, after about a minute, Aro stopped. He held still, eyes closed. Peter eyed him, but then looked down and saw that the wound on Aro's body was beginning to vanish, the skin repairing itself like a spider weaving a web. 

"It's working!" He exclaimed happily, new tears springing forth in his eyes. 

"It's working," Sulpicia said, her voice a whisper. 

They both watched as the wound continued to heal itself until it was gone completely, without even a scar. Sulpicia wrapped Peter's hand in bandages before reaching out and touching Aro's forehead.

"His fever is gone," she said. 

"So, now what?" Peter asked.

"We wait for him to wake up," Sulpicia answered.


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aro finally wakes up.

The first thing that Aro was aware of was a warm, solid weight resting on his chest. He blinked his eyes open, wincing as light pierced his vision. The familiar ceiling of his bedroom came into view. The vampire frowned. His memory was rather hazy. 

'How odd,' Aro thought to himself. 'The last thing I remember is being attacked by those hunters. How did I get to my bedroom?' 

He tried to sit up, but the weight on his chest prevented him from doing so. Something soft brushed against Aro's chin, making him look down. Peter was cuddled on top of him, clinging to him the same way he did his stuffed bat. His hair was messy, his warm breath ghosting across Aro's bare chest. Aro smiled fondly, though his confusion deepened. He looked around and realized that they both tucked under the heavy blankets on his bed. How did they get here?

'Why can't I remember anything after the hunter attack?' Aro thought. 

He moved again, and Peter stirred against his chest, yawning and blinking open his brown eyes. He looked like he was about to fall asleep again, until he noticed Aro looking at him. 

"You're awake," he said, his voice a whisper. 

"Indeed," Aro said. "But I don't remember-" 

The vampire stopped talking as Peter pressed their lips together, holding him so tight that it was almost painful. Aro was shocked, holding still until he felt moisture on his cheeks and realized Peter was crying. He grabbed the hunter's face and reluctantly seperated their lips. Peter whined at the loss, but his hands came up, left one bound in bandages, and held tight to Aro's wrists. 

"Why are you crying, my love?" Aro asked, wiping away the tears as they streamed down Peter's face. 

"I thought I lost you," Peter said, voice cracking with emotion. 

Aro frowned at that. "What do you mean you thought you lost me?" 

"You mean you don't remember?" Peter asked. 

"The last thing I remember was being attacked by those hunters," Aro said. "Everything else is a blank slate." He glanced at Peter's bandaged hand. "What happened to your hand?" 

"It's a long story," Peter answered. He shifted to sit beside Aro, though he still clung to the vampire like a koala. 

He told Aro everything, starting with Sulpicia calling him in America, flying to Italy, searching for a cure, finding and securing the Medici dagger, and fighting Marcus in the infirmary. 

"He wanted to prevent me from healing you so he could lead the Volturi," Peter explained. "Said he was tiredof you and Sulpicia sullying the Volturi name. He also tried to kill me." 

"That imbecile," Aro snarled. "Where is he now?" 

"We don't know," Peter admitted. "After you lit him on fire, he fell out a window and now we can't find him." 

"I lit him on fire?" Aro asked. "Why?" 

"Sulpicia thinks that you sensed I was in danger even while you were injured," Peter answered. "You saved my life." 

Aro smiled. "And you saved mine it seems." He held Peter's bandaged hand gently. "Is this where you cut yourself?" 

"Yeah," Peter said. "The book said that a vampire's mate has to cut themselves and let their mate drink their blood." 

"You are more than my mate, Peter," Aro told him. "You are my everything." 

Peter smiled and they kissed again, gently and slowly. Aro interlaced the fingers of their left hands while he cupped the back of Peter's head with the other. Aro could feel the warmth of his lover's body seeping through him, chasing away the chronic cold. 

"I love you," Peter whispered when they pulled apart.

"I adore you," Aro whispered back, pressing their foreheads together.

Three hours later, after making sure that the Medici dagger had been returned to the graveyard and saying goodbye to Sulpicia, Aro and Peter were aboard another plane, first class this time, flying back to the states. 

"Is this your way of thanking me for saving my life?" Peter asked with a smile as he sipped his scotch. 

"One of the ways," Aro replied with a smirk. "Unless of course you have no problem with me taking you in the lavatory?" 

"I have always wanted to join the mile high club," Peter teased. 

Aro laughed. "That can be arranged, you know." 

Peter chuckled. "Tempting, but maybe we should wait till we get back to my place. We have a lot things to catch up on." 

Aro kissed the hunter on the lips. "Indeed we do."


End file.
